Thanks for feeding this curious girl's interest, guys.
Rivka, the link you posted definitely answers my question... although I have to say that it's not because a few French highbrow critics (and yes, we do have a lot of these, though thankfully they don't entirely control the world of art) put Jerry Lewis on a pedestal than the whole of the population does.
In fact my reaction is pretty much the same as the French guy who posted the question on that site. Jerry Lewis, sure, I've heard of him, but having only seen him in one film (and a dramatic one, too), I can't possibly put him on a pedestal.
Kaethel